Migraine as Risk Factors for Lung Cancer: A Mendelian Randomization Study

Abstract Background This study investigates the potential causal association between migraine experiences and an increased risk of lung cancer diagnosis. Utilizing a Mendelian randomization approach with two distinct cohorts, we aim to further examine the notable prevalence of lung cancer in individuals previously diagnosed with migraines. Methods Data for this analysis were derived from the OpenGWAS project database. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) significantly correlated with genetic predisposition to migraines were employed as instrumental variables. The primary lung cancer datasets were obtained from the UK Biobank and the International Lung Cancer Consortium (ILCCO), with additional analyses on lung squamous cell carcinoma and lung adenocarcinoma subtypes. The "TwoSampleMR" package in R (version 4.3.0) facilitated the Mendelian randomization analysis. Results Employing a multiplicative random effects model, the inverse variance-weighted (IVW) method was primarily used for the most reliable estimations of causal inference. The IVW method indicated an odds ratio (OR) of 1.0363 (95% CI: 1.0003–1.0737, P = 0.0480) and an OR of 75.0950 (95% CI: 2.7592–2043.7688, P = 0.0104) for the association between migraines and lung cancer. These results signify a statistically significant association (P < 0.05), identifying migraines as a risk factor for lung cancer. No evidence of heterogeneity or pleiotropy was observed. Conclusions Migraines significantly contribute to the risk and progression of lung cancer. Further investigations are essential to clarify the causal dynamics between these conditions.